Order of St John of Jerusalem
Permitted Clothing Sets for Hospitaler Order of Saint John of God:
All Brothers and Confraters
According to the Order’s Statute, all brothers wear black or dark gray woolen habit with 15*15 cm large white cross on the left side of the chest with no regard to their rank. The habit is belted with a rope or a simple belt with no decorations.
The lowers clothing layers must include ankle-long linen or cotton cote, chemise, the chausses, and brais. For headwear, use a head wrap up to 6 meter long with a tail hanging down (no longer than waist-height). No decoration is allowed on the footwear.
Habit should be made of plain wool cloth (sheep wool with no pile warp or thread). Other clothing should be also made of plain (tabby) cloth.
For all brothers, ANY decorations are prohibited, both body-wear and armor-wear. All armor decorations must be removed or painted over; horse harness shouldn’t wear decoration elements either.
Confraters and the order hired hands should wear plain modest clothing without decorations. No gold or silver fibulae or gemstone rings are allowed.
The brothers are prohibited to wear fur or use it for camp bedding except for sheep or camel skins.
Thomas Becket’s chemise
Made of linen or plain tabby cotton; featured a vertical chest seam.
Francis of Assisi’s Habit
Made of plainly woven wool ONLY! No cloth.
Armor
All armor decoration must be removed or painted over with black.
Brother Knights are to wear the full hauberk of riveted chainmail with or without gauntlets.
Chainmail cuisses are not obligatory. Both open and close type helmets are acceptable if they can be placed until 1190 according to authentic sources.
Padded helm pad should be made of white or natural color linen or cotton.
Infantryisallowedtowearpaddedarmorwithoutchainmail.
The order confraters can use a variety of body and head armor depending on their character’s rank and origins. Participants must be able to prove their armor authentic for up to 1190 based on reliable historical source.
Shield
The shields in use in the middle and the end of XII century as well as in XI century were almond shape shields or kite shields at least 90 cm long. The shield shows no heraldry except for white cross.
If you use leather as shield jacketing leave it natural (red-brown) in color.
Confraters can’t wear personal heraldry either but they are allowed to wear a shield without the cross.
Swords
Types Х, ,ХIa, and Xll according to Oakeshott typology.
Other types of widespread weapons include spears, axes and bows.
Axes ARE NOT ALLOWED for Knight Brothers.